Meaning & Origins

From the Latin vocabulary word meaning ‘king’. This was not used as a personal name in Latin of the classical or Christian periods, and its adoption as a given name seems to have been a 19th-century innovation. Its popularity was increased by the fame of the British actor Rex Harrison (1908–90), who was christened Reginald Carey.

English and Dutch: from the medieval personal name Benedict (Latin Benedictus meaning ‘blessed’). This owed its popularity in the Middle Ages chiefly to St. Benedict of Norcia (c.480–550), who founded the Benedictine order of monks at Monte Cassino and wrote a monastic rule that formed a model for all subsequent rules. No doubt the meaning of the Latin word also contributed to its popularity as a personal name, especially in Romance countries.